Antifriction-bearing.



PATENTBD AUG. 23,1904. v. L. RICE.

ANTIFRIGTION BEARING.

APPLIOATIOiIJILED MAY I2. 1908.

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BES'l' AVAXLABLE cor- Patented August 23,1904.

viETTs L. RICE, OF-NEW YORK, N. r.

AN-TIFRICTION-BEARING.

SPECIFICATION forming art of Letters Patent Nd. 7cs, 74;,-datea*1u ust 23, 1904.

Serial- No. l56,73{ All? model-J.

Application filed May 12, 1903.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1,.Vrnrrs L. RICE, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city of N ewYork, county 5 of New York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Antifriction-Bearings, of which the followtherein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates: to antifriction-bearings, and particularly to that type known as ball-bearings, and hasfor its objects simplicity of construction and. effectivenessof operation.

According to my invention I employ an outer bearing part the bearing-surfaces 'of which are shaped to conform to portions of asphere, so as to provide within the limitations of ordinary variations of alinement a unizo versal joint, and thereby to relieve the bear-1 ing from all strain due to variations of alinee ment. Also according to my invention the bearing is closed in the. outer parts thereof, ,so that a considerable quantity of lubricant I cording to my invention an inner'bearing ,part provides a plurality of ball-races with two bearing-points for each ball, and according to my invention such inner bearing part 30 is one integral piece. According'to my vention the outer bearing part has bearingsurfaces oblique 'to the axis of the bearingand comprises a plurality of bearing-blocks having a smooth cylindrical fit in an outer '35 casing-sleeve, and thrust-resisting means are provided, which also effect the closing of the bearing against the escape of. the lubricant.

Twill now describe the construction cinbodying my inventionillustrated in the ac 4 oompanying drawings, and will thereafter point out my invention in claims.

Figure 1 is a face view of the bearing. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of the same. w The bearing is composed of an inner tube 45 1 and an outer tube 2', the inner. tube beingthe foundation of the bearingcore and carrying all the operative bearing elements and the outer tube carrying the bearing-blocks and the sealing and restraining rings and Washers.

The core-fonndation comprises a tube 1 with circumiierential grooves, of which the sides 3 4e 5 Gare angularlyarranged with reference to the i periphery ofthe tubeand to eachother. A t 7, fitting the surface. 8- between the grooves, is 1 provided withsurfaces concave toward the grooves and forming'th'erewith interior retaining is a specification, reference being had jers for the balls, theupper edge oi such ring presenting a surface in'the nature of a zone, J

.ball.

which is' grooved at 9 for tightness. Outer re &

=taining-rings-10 and 11 are convex on their outer and conzcave on: their inner surfaces, and a the balls 12 and 13 are adapted to rest between the outer edges of these retainers and to rest in the angular ball race in such manner that but-i two points Otll bearing are presented to the The. bearing-blocks 14 and 15 are in I the-form of two ringsof practically the same construction, each of which provides a. third bearing for its balls. The inner or bearing surface of. each bearing-block is shaped 'in the form of, the surface of a geometricv sphere concentric with the axis of the bearing and with .its center locatedbetween the bearing- 25;'may be held therein without leakage- Ac gblocks, the configuration of this'geo'metric sphere between the bearings being indicated by broken lines. Each'bearing-surface of the i bearing-blocks is therefore a zone of a sphere, and the bearing is a true spherical bearing and universal. within the-limits of ordinary stress of parts;

variations of alinement resulting from th These bearing-hlocks-M an! i 15 have: smooth outer cylindrical peripherie which Tfit tightly; within the outer sleeve 2 o;

f thev bearing, and the bearing is closed atone 5 end, the; left end-in Fig-"2,, by an exteriorly-r threaded closing-ringr-l'i, screwed into thlf outer sleeve? and fitting upon the i'nnei sleeve with sufiicient'play to permit of til relative movements of the outer and intro sleeve, which the spherical bearing is design" to accommodate, which would usually be of the variations of alinement due to sli,"

. parts.

imperfections of construction or stress The bearing is closed at its other-k by a closing-plate which is also exteri threadedand screwed into the outer sleev and where the bearing is designed fora stermi'nating at this end within the bearin 768,574 VAlLABLE COP is the bearing shown, this plate completely closes the opening of the outer sleeve. An inner clanipingring 18 is provided, which is exteriorly threaded and which bears against .the right bearing-block at this side of the bearing, and a washer 19 is interposed between the inner clamping-ring 18 and the outer closing-plate 20, this washer having a projection 21 entering a notch in the outer sleeveQ to hold the washer from rotation during the screwing or unscrewing of theclosing-plate, and thus to prevent disturbance of the adjustment of the inner clamping-ring 18.

It will be observed that in the bearing thus provided there are two inner bearing-points for each ball and that these inner, bearingpoints for the balls are in circles which are at 'all times in planes at right angles to the axis of the shaft, assuring the revolution of the balls at all times in planes at right angles to the axis of the shaft. It will also be observed that each ball has a single outer bearing-point on the inner spherical surface. of a bearingblock, each such bearing-point being in a portion of such surface oblique to the axis of the bearing, so that both bearing-blocks receive an outward thrust, these thrusts beingopposed to each other and balanced in the bearing as a whole and being resisted by the sealing-ring '17 at one end of the bearing and by the inner clamping-ring 18 at the other end of the hearing. It will also be observed that a non-leaking receptacle for lubricating-oil is provided, as when at rest it may be charged with oil up to the inner edge of the sealing-ring l7, and when in motion the oil will be thrown farther outward in the hearing by centrifugal force andicannot escape therefrom. It will also be observed that the inner bearing-sleeve 1 is a single integral piece providing bearings for both sets of balls and is not composed of separate parts secured together .by screw-threads 'ir otherwise and is therefore not subject to 'uaccuracies from unequal wear of screwhreads or irregular shaping of screw-threads r imperfect fitting of the parts and that the uter bearing-blocks have smooth cylindrical aarings in the outer casing-sleeve 2 and are )t threaded therein and are similarly not subject to inaccuracies from unequal wear of screw-threads or irregular shaping of screwhreads.

[t is obvious that various modifications may i made in the construction shown and above ticularly described within the spirit and pe of my invention.

Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Let- Patent, is.

An antifriction-bearing having an inner gral bearing part providing two ball-races two points of contact for each ball, an cJ'sing-sleeve, two outer bearing-blocks ig inner surfaces providing one point of .01; for each ball on a portion of such suroblique to the axis of the bearing, the

surfaces containing such bearing-points on eachof such bearing-blocks being inclined oppositely to the surfaces containing such bearing-points on the other bearing-block, and having outer surfaces with a smooth cylindrical fit in the outer casingsleeve, balls in contact with the inner bearing part and outer bearing-blocks, and thrust-resisting means for holding the outer bearing-blocks against the thrust of the balls.

2. An antifriction-bearing having an inner integral bearing part providing a plurality of ball-races with two points of contact for each ball, outer bearing-races of spherical form providing one point of contact for each ball on a portion of the inner surfaces of such outer bearing-races which is oblique to the. axis of the bearing, and balls in contact with such races.

3. An antifriction-bearing having an inner bearing part providing two ball'races with two points of contact for each ball, an outer casing-sleeve, outer bearing-blocks having inner spherical surfaces providing one point of contact for each ball on a portion of such surface oblique to the axis of the bearing, the surfaces containing such bearing-points .on each of such bearing; blocks being inclined oppositely to the surfaces containing such bearing-points on the other bearing-block, and having outer surfaces with a smooth cylindrical fit in the outer casing-sleeve, balls in contact with the inner bearing part and outer bearing-blocks, and thrust-resisting means for holding the bearing-blocks against the thrust of the balls.

4. An antifriction-bearing having an inner integral bearing part providing a plurality of ball-races with two points of contact foreach ball, an outer casing-sleeve, outer bearingblocks having inner spherical surfaces providing one point of contact for each ball on a portion of such surface oblique to the axis of the bearing and having outer surfaces with a smooth cylindrical fit in the outer casingsleeve, balls in contact with the inner bearing part and outer bearing-blocks, and thrust-resisting and closing means for holding the bearing-blocks against the thrust of the balls and closing the casing from the outer casingsleeve approximately to the inner bearing part, substantially as set forth.

5. An antifriction-bearing having an inner bearing part providing a plurality of ballraces with two points of contact for each ball,

IIO

an outer casing sleeve, outer bearing-blocks having inner surfaces providing one point of contact for each ball on a portion of such surfaces oblique to the axis of the bearing and having outer surfaces with a smooth cylindrical fit in the outer bearing-sleeve, balls in contact with the inner bearing part and outer bearing-blocks, and thrust-resisting and closing means for holding the bearing-blocks against the thrust of the balls and closing the 968,574 S ABLE Cop 3;.

casing from the outer casing-sleeve approximately to the inner bearing part, substantiallyas set forth.

6. An antifriction-bearing having an inner bearing part providing a plurality of ballraces with two points of contact for each ball, an outer casin sleeve, outer bearing-blocks having inner spherical surfaces providing one point of contact for each ball on a portion of such surfaces oblique to the axis of the bear ing and having outer surfaces with a smooth cylindrical fit in the outer bearing-sleeve, balls in contact with the inner bearing part and outer bearing-blocks, ball-retainers contracting the mouths of such ball-races,land

thrust-resisting and closing means for hold in g In testimony whereof I have aflixed my Sig nature in presence of two witnesses.

.VIETTS L. RICE.

Witnesses: V

WILLIAM H. SHEPARD, HENRY D. WILLIAMS. 

